Theft leads to I-76 chase, arrests

Morgan County Sheriff's deputies take into custody the three occupants of the black Volvo that the deputies had chased on Interstate 76 from Fort Morgan to Wiggins. (Morgan County Sheriff's Office / Courtesy photo)

Three Denver-area residents were taken into custody Tuesday afternoon after leading two Morgan County Sheriff's Office vehicles in a chase on Interstate 76 until their vehicle got rammed and they surrendered by Stub's Gas and Oil.

It started around 12:23 p.m. last Tuesday in Fort Morgan with Morgan County dispatch reporting a theft at Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply and the suspects being inside a Volvo SUV headed westbound on U.S. Highway 34, according to the sheriff's office.

Shortly after, MCSO Sgt. Chris LaPorte was able to catch up to the suspects' Volvo headed westbound on Interstate 76 at about milemarker 72 and attempt to stop it. At first, it seemed to the sergeant that the driver would pull over, but the vehicle instead sped up and headed west going about 70 miles per hour, according to the sheriff's office.

Morgan County Sheriff's deputies chased the black Volvo around lunchtime Tuesday on Interstate 76 following a report of the occupants being involved with a theft from the Murdoch's Ranch and Supply Store in Fort Morgan. (Morgan County Sheriff's Office / Courtesy photo)

LaPorte was not alone in pursing the Volvo, though, with a second sheriff's office vehicle, this one unmarked and occupied by Morgan County Sheriff Jim Crone. The second MCSO vehicle pulled behind the Volvo in the other lane with lights and sirens going, but the driver still would not pull over.

The chase was coming up on I-76 exit 66 and the second MCSO vehicle passed the Volvo to try to keep it from exiting onto Highway 34. Another car was in the area on I-76 and looked to be heading toward that exit, so the second MCSO vehicle pulled between it and the Volvo both to protect the other car and to keep the Volvo from exiting.

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The Volvo's driver then attempted to go around the unmarked MCSO vehicle in the outside lane, but the MSCO vehicle "crowded the SUV into the median which was covered with snow," according to the sheriff's office. At first it seemed like this would get the Volvo to stop, but the SUV made it back onto the asphalt.

One of the sheriff's vehicles then tried to do a PIT maneuver to force the stop, but the attempt missed.

Breaking away from the MCSO vehicles, the Volvo then sped up, swerved and made it over to the off ramp leading toward state Highway 52 and state Highway 39.

"As the Volvo went through the stop sign and jerked to turn south, the unmarked car hit the Volvo broadside in an attempt to stop it," the sheriff's office stated. "Though the unmarked car and Volvo ended up stopped side by side, the Volvo driver accelerated backwards to get away and then continued south in the opposite lane of traffic."

The Volvo next crossed the overpass going southbound, but the unmarked MSCO car made another PIT maneuver attempt. This one got the car to spin out, but the driver quickly put it in reverse. The unmarked MCSO vehicle again hit the Volvo, which finally came to a stop at the north end of the entrance into Stub's Gas and Oil.

Intending to order the driver out of the Volvo, the sheriff got out of the unmarked vehicle only to see the Volvo start again. Knowing there were no other law enforcement officials available nearby to set up stop-sticks, Crone fired a shot at the Volvo's back tire. He was seeking to flatten it and slow down the SUV, so as to keep it from reaching Wiggins or pulling back on a two-lane highway which could end in another driver getting hurt.

"Not proud I shot at the tire, but I did not want this thing to go any further," Crone said.

He was thinking about a theft from Murdoch's followed by a high-speed chase on I-76 a bit less than a year ago that ended in a fiery crash and injuries to the occupants.

With this chase, the sheriff's shot at the Volvo appeared to have frightened the occupants, as the SUV moved a bit forward but then stopped along the north side of the gas pumps. The people inside then surrendered to the MCSO officials.

Still, the drama was not quite over. The SUV apparently was still in gear when the driver exited the Volvo, and it started to roll toward the main Stub's building. Seeking to stop the SUV, MCSO Lt. Barney Padgett jumped inside the open door even though the other two suspects were still inside.

"I'm glad he did it," Crone said, even though it was "maybe not the safest thing to do.

But if the SUV had continued to roll down the incline, it could have crashed into the front door of the gas station, so Padgett's actions kept that from happening.

With the Volvo finally stopped completely, the three suspects then were arrested without any other problems.

The driver, Phillip R. Dillard, 66, of Denver, and passengers Vernon K. Hale, 33, of Denver and Tona E. Reynolds, 44, of Aurora each face theft charges, according to the sheriff's office. Dillard also faces charges related to the pursuit, and Reynolds is facing conspiracy charges as the MCSO officials said she "appeared to be encouraging Dillard to attempt to get away, and possibly steered the Volvo at times." Hale, who also had an existing Arapahoe County warrant, then was found to be carrying on him what was suspected to be cocaine.

The Volvo was impounded and turned over to Fort Morgan Police Department for follow up on the original case of theft from Murdoch's. It appeared that the stolen items were all inside the SUV, according to the sheriff's office, but FMPD would investigate this more.

The sheriff's office also is seeking to determine the owner of the Volvo in case it was stolen before the pursuit began.

And the sheriff's office also asked anyone who was in the area of Stub's on Tuesday and witnessed the events related to the chase and the arrests to call 970-867-2461 and speak with any on-duty supervisor.

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